Jump to: Background Suggestions for Teachers Additional Resources This resource was created by Devon Burger, the 2016 Liljenquist Family Fellow at the Library of Congress. Soldiers, sailors, nurses, artisans, laborers, officers, scouts, and spies: African Americans were at the center of the Civil War from the moment it began, and took on a wide variety of roles in the war’s conduct and resolution. Historical Background The visual depictions that were created during the war provide an opportunity